Magnetic Storms vs HamAlert
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Magnetic Storms
Monitor Earth's magnetic field and solar activity in near real-time. Track Kp and A indices, solar wind speed, solar flares, and proton/electron flux. Predict auroras and magnetic storms.
- Real-time magnetic field monitoring
- Solar activity tracking
- Kp and A Index data
- Solar wind speed
- Solar flare detection
- Proton and electron flux
- Aurora prediction
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The Magnetic Storms application was originally developed to allow monitoring of the Earth's magnetic field in near real time, using data from GOES satellites that constantly monitor solar activity and a set of magnetic stations distributed around the Earth. With the improvement of the application due to the huge number of users and the availability of new parameters related to the Sun and Space Weather by the space agencies, lots of other information was added and they are shown in a simple and intuitive way. The main parameters presented are the Kp Index, the A Index, the instantaneous speed of the solar wind, the number of class C, M and X solar flares observed in X-rays, in addition to the flux of protons and electrons, flux of X-rays and magnetic field measurements observed by GOES-16. With an analysis of this information it is possible to anticipate sudden changes in the Earth's magnetic field at ground level and the occurrence of aurora with some advance. An ideal application for anyone who wants to monitor solar activity and its implications on Earth, such as problems in the transmission of radio and TV waves, blackouts in electricity transformer stations, auroras, magnetic storms. It is the perfect app for anyone interested in Space Weather in general, and is available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and French. As a way of keeping the app distributed for free and constantly updated, we kindly ask you to rate the app ("stars") and write a brief description of why you use it and (we hope you) enjoy it. Criticism and suggestions are always welcome at mikebm10.appledeveloper@gmail.com. NOTE: the parameters shown in the application are obtained from the research entities responsible for their collection and processing, and depend on the availability and access to the electronic servers of these entities. Any connection speed problems with the servers or temporary unavailability of information by those institutions can affect the functioning of the application, and are beyond the control of the developers. Problems should be reported by email mikebm10.appledeveloper@gmail.com, with a description of the observed effects. Please do not assign a low rating in the evaluation of the application for possible failures in the servers, which are not our responsibility. An email message will be promptly answered and possible measures will be taken. We thank you for your understanding.
HamAlert
Receive instant push notifications for desired amateur radio contacts. Filter alerts by various criteria like callsign, band, mode, and location. Stay updated on DX spots from multiple sources.
- Push notifications for desired stations
- Filter spots by DXCC, callsign, and location
- Support for Reverse Beacon Network, SOTAwatch, DX cluster, PSK Reporter
- Filter by band, mode, and time
- Filter by spotter callsign and DXCC
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This app is a companion to the HamAlert web site (hamalert.org) and lets you receive push notifications from HamAlert. HamAlert is a system that allows amateur radio operators to get notifications when a desired station appears on the Reverse Beacon Network, SOTAwatch, the DX cluster or PSK Reporter. Spots can be filtered by various criteria, including: • DXCC (both actual and callsign home DXCC) • Callsign • Island reference • Summit reference • Park reference • CQ zone • Continent • Band • Mode • Time and days of week • Source • Spotter callsign and DXCC
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: HamAlert at none against Magnetic Storms's shown. HamAlert also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 12 months). Magnetic Storms's advantage is review sentiment (82% vs 70%) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Magnetic Storms against 4.2 for HamAlert. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 29 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of Magnetic Storms's written reviews are positive against 70% of HamAlert's.
Magnetic Storms ships an update every 12 months, HamAlert every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Magnetic Storms | HamAlert |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (19 ratings) — better | 4.2 (29 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 81.5% of reviews — better | 70.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 19 | 29 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andre Molina | Manuel Kasper |
Customer experience
Magnetic Storms
HamAlert
In-app purchases
Magnetic Storms
No in-app purchases
HamAlert
No in-app purchases








